Picking up my phone tomorrow.... Question.

That sucks that apple is doing this, not letting people keep their phones unopened even tho people are paying $200-$850 for them. I got mine release day at the AT&T store and a guy beside me checking out with a 64 GB iPhone 5, told the AT&T employee to leave the phone in the box as he was buying it for his boss (lucky boss) I said u must really want that promotion! Lol, anyways they were cool with it didn't even second guess it, he paid and left and that was that. What I want to know is, are people that ordered the iPhone 5 to be shipped to them receive them open? Or were they sealed in the box like they should be? Because why is that any different if u buy from apple at the store or online?